


Cursed with Doom

by aseriesofolafevents



Series: Bowtruckles and Broken People [3]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 10:18:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17098754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aseriesofolafevents/pseuds/aseriesofolafevents
Summary: In which Nagini is doomed, Dumbledore does some stalking and Jacob acts like an older brother.ORThe one where Nagini tries to run away from her doom, her friends and her emotions.





	Cursed with Doom

**Author's Note:**

> Nagini's POV is so scary to write from because we didn't see enough of her in COG. I've kind of made a little back story for her, from the little information I can find. I hope you enjoy!! Comment whose perspective you'd like to see next, so far I've done Theseus, Bunty and now Nagini!

Doom.

That seemed to be a recurring theme in her life; doom. She was doomed from the moment of her conception, doomed by the blood that ran through her veins, from the curse that lay inside her, dormant yet there nonetheless. 

So that was settled, she was doomed. Doomed to a fate many said was worse than death. People avoided her in the bustling streets of the magically hidden wizarding village where she grew up, just outside of Padang. Mothers drew their daughters away from her, terrified that even a glance at the Maledictus would curse their beloveds. Some even spat on her, called her names or physically harmed her. Doomed was an understatement.

Still, despite the traumas, her childhood had been a fairly happy one. Her mother, though doomed as well, had always provided her with food and fairly put together clothing. She knew what she was, of course, knew what she would become, what her mother would become, but this hadn’t stopped her mother living her life to the fullest, risking procreation and being able to bring up a daughter with the same infliction as her. No, she was happy. As happy as one who is doomed to become a snake.

 

She had first transformed just past her eleventh birthday. A fight with her mother had brought it on; a bubbling of anger took over and seconds later, she seemed to explode with it, transforming into a great snake. Fear had taken over her and at first it seemed impossible to turn back yet, after calming down it became quite simple. She cried, her mother cried and they both hugged each other until they had soothed themselves. After that, Nagini had learnt to control it, calling on it rarely.

And then, a little short of her seventeenth birthday, her doomed life seemed to implode into millions of fragmented pieces. Her mother had had some kind of rare fit, an epilepsy of sorts and had been taken to see the healer, the only one in the village who would come out for the two women. She remembered every second of it, the anxiety she had felt as she paced outside her mother’s room, heart beating fast. She remembered how the healer had come out, a grave look upon his face telling her that she must leave at once, to keep running until she was far from the place she called home. Of course, she had protested, demanding to see her mother, yet the healer was so insistent, telling her that her mother was gone, was in her ‘new body’ and that the village people were for sure to come and deal with the situation. At that moment, Nagini knew that her doom had taken control and so she had gathered her few belongings and fled in the middle of the night.

After months of travelling, she somehow found herself mixed up with the Circus. A couple more months and Nagini didn’t think her doomed life could get more doomed. There is a state of doom that the most doomed people enter where life can not sink into any lower state of doom.   
But then came Credence and suddenly she wasn’t the only doomed person in the world. 

Credence was different right from the beginning. For starters just like her, he had never learnt to control or apply his magical abilities. Just like her he was hunted and persecuted for his abnormalities. Just like her he dreamed of a world where he could be free to live as himself, without having to humiliate himself in a travelling circus just to guarantee food at night. 

To many, it may have looked like Nagini was in love with him. It certainly looked that way to the Ringmaster who spent any extra time he had trying to keep them apart. Nagini almost believed it herself before she reminded herself that this was Credence and whilst she loved him more then anyone in the world, she couldn’t ever be IN love with him. But that suited them just fine and for almost a year they bumbled along, trying to find their place in the world. The travelling aspect of the circus was a huge advantage and they began detailing their favourite places so one day, they could come back; this time as free individuals. It wasn’t quite happiness yet it was a new sort of content that Nagini found herself becoming quite fond of.

But that’s the thing about doom. It usually strikes when you’re least expecting it, when you dare to believe that you might have escaped it. It was silly, Nagini thought later, to believe a mysterious dark haired boy with a hidden secret could fix more problems then he would bring. Trouble seemed to follow Credence more than it followed even her and it was then that things started to go down hill.

Down hill, could be exactly defined by sitting in an small terraced house in England, with practical strangers having lost the only person trusted. Down hill, could be described by that certain person leaving you to join the darkest wizard of all time, without even looking bad. Downhill seemed to be a common residence for the doomed.

Yet here she was, merely two weeks after the Paris incident, sitting at a dining room table, in a British household, next to a French man who had vowed to kill her best friend and opposite a man who had creatures in his basement.

No, that was wrong. They weren’t all bad, she grew to learn. The french man was quiet and polite and rather good at drawings she had found out. He had drawn her one day, whilst they were in the basement, without her even realising. Afterwards, he had shuffled over to her nervously and handed her the drawing, blushing slightly and mumbling about wanting to catch her in her rightful light. She had said “Thank you Mr Kama awkwardly” to which he told her to call him by his first name, Yusef. They didn’t speak a lot, but when they did they always had fairly interesting chats about the places they had travelled.

The girl, Tina, was hard to read. Nagini shared a room with her and so she often heard her cry softly, in the middle of the night. She knew the blonde had been her sister, perhaps HER best friend and so Nagini empathised with her a great deal. Still, by day break the tears were gone and replaced by a slightly cold looking face. Nagini had never interacted with women apart from her mother and so she had been undeniably nervous to speak to Tina. It was obvious that there was something going on with her and the younger Scamander; all the looking and blushing and staring and finger brushing was enough to give that away. For Nagini, the real Tina moment had been when Nagini had been struggling with her damp hair and Tina had offered to braid it. That kind gentle action had really touched the doomed girl’s heart.

Theseus was hurting at the moment. He was the tall, fairly attractive man who had appeared aggressive and arrogant at first, but now seemed sad and lonely in the face of grief. His break down a couple of days ago had been long overdue and she had stepped up and taken control, asking him to talk about Leta. Now, even though he still wore the same anguished look in his eyes, he had been replaced by a more fiery, determine Theseus, who didn’t fail to crack a joke around the dinner table, usually using Newt and Tina as his subject.

Newt was the kindest and most intriguing to her. At first, she had been slightly wary of him. He tamed and kept creatures who he found on his travels. In her younger years, people did not hesitate to label Nagini as a creature and so at first, she was fearful that he might see her as a new beast, to take care of. However Newt treated her with the utmost respect. He questioned her a couple of times, trying to see if her maledictus was similar to any he had encountered in the past but if the questions seemed to upset her, he would back track immediately or move onto some other subject. She appreciated that.

And then, there was Jacob.  
When they had first grouped together, back in Nicholas Flamel’s dusty apartment, she hadn’t spoken. She barely moved, barely slept, barely acted normal. She was sad true, yet also a small part of her was fearful to attach herself onto these friends, in case her doomed life seemed to corrupt theirs, just like she believed it had done to Credence. Yet Jacob had won her over by his tasty treats and a day before they left for England she had thanked him.  
He’d glanced at her in surprise before his face broke into a nervous grin and told her that it was no problem.  
When they’d arrived in England, her friendship with Jacob seemed to evolve more and more. She trusted him. She cared about him. He was hurting just as badly as she was, if not more. Yet he always seemed to think of others before he thought of himself. He would always ask Tina how she was feeling and if she needed anything and, even though the taller witch would sometimes pretend like it annoyed her, Nagini knew that she felt safe having Jacob around because she felt exactly the same.

Almost a month had passed and Theseus had resumed his work, even though they had decided that this was more to have access to any information on Grindelwald’s whereabouts which could be useful. Nagini spent most of her days helping Newt and Bunty down in the basement or cooking upstairs with Jacob. Every evening they would gather with Theseus and share anything they had heard or seen which could be useful.

Most days passed just like this. She’d slipped into a routine of sorts, yet the normality of her living conditions, wasn’t what worried her the most. It was the warm bubbling feeling that rose in her chest whenever she thought of the new misorted family she now lived with. Having learnt from a young age that doom snatches happiness away at the first chance it gets, her content frightened her more than it amazed her. And so for the next couple of days she began to withdraw into herself. She became colder, spoke less, ate less, slept more. She had actually snapped at Tina when the aurora had asked if she had anything that needed to be washed. She had glared at Bunty when she offered a cup of tea. And most importantly, she had begun to plan her exit plan.

Leaving was the best option, she decided. It was safer for everyone. Secretly, Nagini had begun to care for these people..to like them. And even stranger, she had begun to like the person she was becoming when she was around them. They made her feel stronger, braver, like she could do anything. So that was why it was vital that she packed up her things and chose to leave on a crisp April morning, as the sun snuck out from its hiding place and light filled the slowly awakening streets of London.

Walking down the road from Newt’s london home was just about the hardest thing she had ever done. It was giving up on her new friends, but also giving up on Credence; the chance of finding him. Still, it was better for everyone. She would try and catch a train to America she decided. Europe was haunted by the ghost of the circus and Credence but America promised new hope, new opportunity.

It was as she was coming up to the great river that she noticed him. Or rather, she saw it fit to notice him since he had probably been walking a distance behind her for the last five minutes. The manly figure of a person was wearing a bowler hat which dipped to cover his face and a blue suit, armed with a black umbrella, which he used to support his walking. He didn’t look her way and yet she was filled with the strangest feeling that he was watching her.

She shook her dark thoughts of. There was no way she was being followed, no one even knew she was here in London. Unless...The thought that some Grindelwald fanatic was pursuing her made her shiver with a chill that was not a result of the cold and she started walking a little bit quicker then what she had been. 

No, he was definitely following her. His change of speed would have been quite noticeable to passers by, yet Nagini’s keen eyes spotted his graceful dart forward. She took a deep breath and broke into a sprint, pacing through the streets which were beginning to fill with people. She dived around the corner of a small side street and stood, panting against the wall, yet sure that she had lost him.

A crack proved her wrong. There at the opening of the alley stood bowler hat man, blocking any escape route she had. She backed away, heart pounding against her rib cage. This was it, she thought to herself, transforming was the only way out of this situation. She closed her eyes and squeezed in tight just as-

“Don't do that.” The man spoke and Nagini was surprised to hear the familiar soft nature of the voice. He removed his hat and Albus Dumbledore stood before her, half smiling. He took a small step towards her. “Stay as you are.”  
She shook her head, disbelieving. “Dumbledore?” She raised an eyebrow. He belonged at Hogwarts, not in small London alleys with a maledictus such as herself. “What are you doing here?”  
“Ah.” The professor tilted his head, giving a grimace of a smile. “I think the real question is what are you doing here? It’s too early for a morning stroll.”  
Feeling her cheeks colour a little, Nagini dropped her eyes to the ground. “You know what I’m doing.”  
“Well, to me it looks like you are running away.” Dumbledore shrugged. “Which would be most foolish.”  
“It’s just...It’s better for everyone that I leave!” The words left her before she had time to stop them, coming out loud and cold. Her eyes widened, how could she have just spoken like that to Albus Dumbledore?  
The old man frowned, yet not out of anger. “Better for who?” He asked. “Because I don’t think that anyone would appreciate your leaving.”

Nagini almost rolled her eyes. “They don’t need me. No one would even notice I’m missing.”  
“On the contrary, my dear.” Dumbledore’s blue eyes seemed to examine her, inside and out. “Why do you think I’m here.”  
“Because you’re noisy.” Nagini grumbled, thinking that he wouldn’t hear. Yet Dumbledore’s chuckle made her jump.  
“Well, yes.” He admitted, laughing. “But also because I received three individual letters, one from Newt, one from Miss Goldstein and one from a certain Jacob Kowalski, who had all noticed the rapid deterioration in your happiness and health. I decided to keep an eye on you and I had a feeling that if you were to run, today would be the day.”  
Nagini found herself at a loss for words. They did care about her. However this was an even bigger reason to leave. “You don’t...I’m doomed!” She declared, realising she had never said this aloud before. “My doom will spread to them and...and infect them!”  
“Do you honestly believe that those people’s lives haven’t been touched by doom even a little before you entered?” Dumbledore spoke harsher then he had before, as if reprimanding her. Nagini shrunk back a little.

Dumbledore’s expression softened a little. “Nagini you are far more important to this cause then you realise.” He told her. “Now, I can not stop you leaving. But I can tell you that your leaving will be detrimental to our fight. Not to mention there is a good chance that without you, Credence will never come back to us.” He paused for a moment. “So, what will it be?”

Nagini thought for a moment. On one hand, leaving was the easier option. She would find a new life in America to live out the rest of her days. And yet...There are certain points in one’s life where they stand at a crossroads. Nagini stood at her crossroad in a small London alleyway, on cold March morning. But to her, there was only one pass to take.  
“I’m going back.” She told herself as much as she told the headmaster.  
If Dumbledore was surprised he certainly did not show it. Instead, he dipped his hat and offered an arm.  
“I’ll take you back.”

 

When Nagini opened the door to the house, she tried to sleep in quietly, so that her early morning rendezvous would not be known to anyone. Yet of course, Jacob was sitting at the large kitchen table, a mug of tea between his hands, his worried eyes glaring at her as she walked in.  
“And where have you been, young lady?” He demanded, his voice shaking with anger and fear, all in one.  
“I…” Nagini thought quickly. “I woke up early and wanted to go for a walk, before anyone was up.” She smiled, hoping she was being convincing.  
Jacob raised an eyebrow. “With that?” He questioned, gesturing to the bundle of clothes that swung over her shoulder.  
“Oh.” Nagini said in soft realisation.  
“Oh, indeed.” Jacob grunted. He waved a hand at the seat opposite him. “Well you have some explaining to do, missus.”

Nagini spent the next half an hour, describing her entire life story to Jacob, from beginning to present. The baker listened, often frowning at the magical parts that he didn’t understand, making a gruff sigh when he heard how the children had picked on her younger self.   
“So you see, I was afraid that I would somehow pass my doom on to you.” She explained, feeling her cheeks burn a little. “But Professor Dumbledore told me you were already ridiculed with doom.”  
Jacob gave a chuckle. “I guess that’s right.” When he saw the younger girl’s serious face his expression softened. “Look, kid. I’m happy you came back. I...well I guess I care about you. You know, if me and Queen ever had- ever have a daughter, I want her to be exactly like you.”  
Nagini’s heart felt like it would burst with happiness. She quirked an eyebrow. “Without the blood curse, though?” She joked, grinning at Jacob’s confused face.  
“Maybe leave that bit out.” He muttered, smiling back.

The door went, signalling that someone else was awake. Tina’s voice called out to whoever was up and about and Jacob glanced at Nagini, silently asking whether to say anything. Nagini shook her head furiously and so when Tina came through and found them at the table, asking why Nagini’s bundle of clothes was on the floor, Jacob replied with ‘washin’, to which Tina raised an eyebrow and said ‘Mercy Lewis, Nagini doing her washin?”

Nagini’s fate had been doomed from the moment she was born. Nothing was going to change that. But she knew that she could change what happened between now and that fate. And if there was one thing that Nagini knew how to do, it was fight.


End file.
